ZIMBABWE: GOODS PRODUCED WITH FORCED OR EXPLOITATIVE CHILD

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000325 SIPDIS AF/S FOR BWALCH AF/EPS for MZIKRY DRL FOR NWILETT, MMITTELHAUSER, AND TDANG G/TIP FOR SSTEINER AND RYOUSEY EEB FOR BBROOKS-RUBIN AND JWINKLER DOL/ILAB FOR LSTROTKAMP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PLAB PHUM PREF PGOV KTIP EMIN EAGR ZI SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE: GOODS PRODUCED WITH FORCED OR EXPLOITATIVE CHILD LABOR Ref: STATE 21472 ¶1. This cable provides additional details on goods produced in Zimbabwe with forced labor and exploitative child labor. Reports from the government, the International Labor Organization, industry, and non-governmental organizations that follow labor issues indicate that the vast majority of child labor in Zimbabwe is not forced and occurs in a family work setting. ¶2. The answers below are keyed in response to questions posed in paragraph 11 of reftel. ¶A. Good: Diamonds -- Type of exploitation found in the production of the good: Forced labor of both adults and children and exploitative child labor. -- Sources of information and years: Since late 2008 numerous credible NGOs, local chiefs, and villagers surrounding the Marange (also known as Chiadzwa) diamond field in eastern Zimbabwe have reported that both forced labor and exploitative child labor have occured in Marange. International NGOs including Partnership Africa Canada have since conducted separate investigations, verifying these claims. PAC's report "Zimbabwe, Diamonds and the Wrong Side of History" is available online at: http://www.pacweb.org/e/images/stories/docume nts/ 18_zimbabwe-diamonds_march09-eng.pdf -- Narrative: Between late 2006 and the present, villagers and children from communities surrounding the alluvial diamond field near Marange in Manicaland have abandoned jobs and school and engaged in small-scale diamond mining, primarily by digging. Up until late 2008, this mining was not forced or exploitative. Children and adults alike dug and sold diamonds to local syndicates. Around October 2008, security forces moved in to allegedly "clean up" the diamond field and expel the illegal miners. NGOs estimate that between October and December at least 200 people were killed in this operation; some bodies were taken to the morgue in nearby Mutare and others were buried in mass and individual graves near the diamond fields. During the take-over by security forces, soldiers and police have formed "syndicates" of illegal diggers. According to reports, these syndicates are formed mostly by men, but they also include children--mostly boys--as young as 11, who come to Marange of their own will to dig. Schools in the surrounding area are reportedly empty, giving credence to the claims that children prefer mining to school. Forced and exploitative labor occurs when these security forces force the miners to dig until meeting a quota or beat miners severely if they are suspected of stealing or if they are not able to meet the quota. Soldiers also reportedly fire "warning shots" to force the miners, including children, to dig faster. Some workers have fled the area on foot, walking many miles to escape the area. Soldiers reportedly allow the diggers to keep lower-grade industrial diamonds while taking the higher-grade gem-quality diamonds for themselves. NGOs also report that security forces have sometimes rounded up people from the streets, taken them to Marange, and forced them to dig under armed guard. Because the military has sealed off all roads leading to the area and many people fear for their lives if they disclose activities occurring in Marange, accurate information on the labor situation is difficult to obtain and nearly impossible to confirm. Reliable local NGOs have provided this information either verbally or in Qlocal NGOs have provided this information either verbally or in written reports. Incidence: The Marange/Chiadzwa diamond field is one of three diamond mining sites in Zimbabwe and is the only diamond site where forced labor and exploitative child labor is believed to exist. There are two other diamond mines in Zimbabwe -- Murowa Mine and River Ranch Mine. Murowa Mine is owned by Murowa Diamonds, a member of the Rio Tinto Group of Companies. River Ranch is the subject of a property dispute; however, the dispute has not led to the lawless situation experienced in Marange/Chiadzwa. -- Host government, industry, or NGO efforts specifically designed to combat forced labor of adults or children in production of goods: The transitional government has reportedly attempted to regain control of the area and peacefully eliminate all illegal activity, including forced and child labor. However, Post continues to receive reports that security forces are beating illegal diamond diggers, sometimes fatally. We do not know to what extent children have been affected. HARARE 00000325 002 OF 002 ¶3. In addition to diamonds, there are other Zimbabwean goods that may be produced with child labor and warrant further research. However, it is unknown if this child labor was exploitative or not. Currently there is only one small NGO, the Coalition Against Child Labor in Zimbabwe (CACLAZ) dedicated to researching and combating child labor. CACLAZ lacks adequate resources to conduct research to verify these claims of exploitative child labor to produce goods. ¶4. The following goods may be produced with child labor (NOTE: Post can not confirm incidents of exploitative child labor. END NOTE): -- Tea. Zimbabwe's largest tea company, Tanganda Tea Estates, employs children 15 and older in a government-sanctioned "earn-and-learn" program. Under the program, children are paid US$30 per month to work four hours per day picking tea. In return, Tanganda also provides the children with free education, including school fees, school supplies, and teacher allowances. NGOs and children working at Tanganda report that some children under 15 are employed through the program. Tanganda has been certified by the international organization Ethcal Tea Partnership (ETP),which seeks to identify companies engaging in unethical practices. Tanganda executives told us they are currently addressing some concerns raised by ETP during its routine monitoring of labor practices on the estate, such as the provision of protective clothing for "earn-and-learn" workers and the provision of potable water for workers. Post does not have enough information to confirm the ages of children working at Tanganda nor to determine if labor at the tea estates is exploitative. -- Timber products. Reports indicate children are used to move logs after they have been cut. However, Post has not been able to confirm this. -- Cotton. The vast majority of cotton producers are small-scale. Children routinely work on their families' plots, although cotton producers do not believe this has interfered with their education. -- Gold. Children help their families with small-scale gold panning and may help during the chemical processing of gold, which often includes cyanide. However, there is limited public information on child labor involving use of dangerous chemicals in gold mining. Post does not have reports of forced labor in larger-scale commercial gold mines. -- Tobacco. Preliminary reports indicate children, including those under 14, may be used in picking tobacco and in removing worms from tobacco leaves. -- Crocodile leather and meat. There are unconfirmed reports to indicate children may be working on some crocodile farms near Lake Kariba. At least one firm reportedly employs children under the age of 15 to clean crocodile skins and to clean crocodile pens, even while crocodiles are in the pens. The company reportedly told an NGO that the crocodiles are tame and "have small brains" and will consequently not attack the workers. MCGEE